Abstract
Answer D. Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome presents with abdominal discomfort or pain with a change in bowel habit (this can be diarrhoea, constipation or a combination of both). The pain is usually relieved by defaecation. Other symptoms include bloating, nausea, early satiety, mucus passed rectally and backache. While this is likely to be irritable bowel syndrome, it is sensible to rule out other causes. Coeliac disease might have a dietary trigger and hypothyroidism might present with heavy periods, tiredness, dry skin, hair loss as well as constipation. Ovarian cancer can present very vaguely so clinicians should have a low index of suspicion about this, especially if women are a little older and features of the history include bloating, pelvic pains and early satiety. Inflammatory bowel disease will usually present with more severe abdominal pains and diarrhoea and possibly rectal bleeding.
InnovAiT article: Irritable bowel syndrome. DOI: 10.1177/1755738019855099.